Academy can be proud of award

9/25/2004

The U.S. Department of Education has presented two schools in the Toledo area with the "No Child Left Behind" Blue Ribbon Award, and for the first time ever, this prestigious award was presented to a TPS school - the Toledo Technology Academy. TTA is a "different" school with a governing board providing administrative guidance and a nonprofit foundation providing financial support.

TTA is in excellent company. Ottawa Hills Junior/Senior High School received the Blue Ribbon Award for the third year in a row.

Students, teachers, administrators, parents, and all involved with these schools should be proud to be among only 255 schools nationwide recognized by this award.

The selection process stresses the educational process and curriculum, and also focuses on measurable tests, student achievement, improvement in proficiency test scores, participation in extracurricular activities, attendance rates of students and teachers, and other areas of school accountability. These two schools were nominated for this award by the Ohio Department of Education along with only 11 other Ohio schools.

It is especially important to the Toledo community to recognize the "No Child Left Behind" Blue Ribbon Award presented to TTA. TTA is a new TPS high school that, after having graduated only four senior classes who attended TTA for four years, has earned such an important award.

Congratulations to the Toledo Technology Academy and Ottawa Hills on this "No Child Left Behind" Blue Ribbon Award.

WILLIAM F. NIEHOUS

Director

NW Ohio Engineering

and Technologies

Education Foundation

I'm all for homeland security, but perhaps, just perhaps, we may be going too far.

Case in point:

My mother, on her way to New York to celebrate her 50th birthday, not to mention being ecstatic over the birth of her first grandson two days earlier, was stopped at Toledo Express Airport for carrying a concealed weapon.

The weapon? An expired can of pepper spray that she has carried on her keychain for the last 10 years.

Surely there was a lapse of judgment, more of memory really, on her part, but to be pulled from line, cuffed, frisked, and told she could face three to five years in a federal prison, seems a tad excessive.

Our hope now lies in the legal system seeing beyond the file. This is a clear case where judging a book by its cover is perfectly acceptable.

Travis Bisaillon

Kingsbury Avenue

Vice President Cheney, who has spent most of his term in safe havens, suggests that the American people face another attack if they don't vote for President Bush.

I hope Democrats are taking notice of the desperation that is driving the Republican Party and the oil money that is driving Mr. Cheney.

Margaret Cooper

Perrysburg

Tickets: $58. Parking: $6. Souvenirs: $42. Snacks: $16.50. Memories: heat exhaustion!

I had high hopes for a fun time at the Ringling Bros./Barnum & Bailey Circus last week as my family and I headed out for an evening at the Sports Arena. Instead, we ended up leaving less than halfway through the show because of the sweltering heat. The show itself was excellent and my two young children were quite disappointed to leave but were miserable as well. The Sports Arena is an outdated, inadequate facility. Toledo deserves better!

Luan Scott

Maumee